Many Everton fans have been reacting on social media to reports by the Daily Mail, claiming the Premier League are to investigate Alisher Usmanov’s £30million naming rights deal for our new ground at the Bramley-Moore docks.
Usmanov’s holding company USM have entered into an agreement with the club that will award the Russian billionaire first refusal on buying the naming rights for our new stadium once constructed ahead of its planned 2023 opening.
A host of top-flight sides are said to have not looked welcomingly on the deal, and have requested that the Premier League launch a formal investigation into the agreement.
Premier League rule E.54 dictates that any commercial deal ‘arising from a related party transaction’ has to be noted in the club’s annual accounts and at ‘a fair market value’.
Rule E.1 also states that Premier League sides must file their accounts each year in March, and it is expected that Everton’s submission will see Usmanov’s investment put under the microscope.
Should the Premier League decide if the value is fair?
Yes
No
Should the investigation unearth anything that the Premier League deem questionable, Everton will be subjected to questions over the agreement with USM, such as whether the £30m price was at a fair market value and whether the former Arsenal shareholder is an independent party.
Everton could face having to repay some of the fee paid by USM, as rule E.54 adds that the Premier League can request any of their 20 clubs to restate agreements ‘to a fair market value’ if a sponsorship deal is above market value.
Here are some of the messages shared as fans reacted to the Premier League receiving complaints over our £30m deal with USM, and the club facing potential trouble for it…
Sure they were fine with every other stadium that has naming rights. They hate us so much 😂
— Stuart (@Stupot1994) January 15, 2020
It’ll be known as the USM Premier League and nothing shall be mentioned again
— Jay T (@JayT1878) January 15, 2020
lol what? The stadium alone will generate billions of pounds for the area and a 30M payment to give him first dibs is a drop in the bucket
— Cat of the Canals (@otrochris) January 15, 2020
I WONDER Who The Rival Club(s) Are….???
— The Toffeeman (@thaibrownie) January 16, 2020
But not Man City’s naming rights where the company is the same one that owns the team.
— Gino (@Gino52483223) January 15, 2020
Haha this is pathetic. We always get an example made of us.
— Ryan (@allertontoffee) January 15, 2020
And so it begins
— gav (@Gav374) January 16, 2020
If it’s Liverpool or City it never gets a second glance
— joe (@giogioxjb) January 15, 2020
Is this a stay in your lane approach from those other clubs?
— Barry Gordon (@barrygordon79) January 16, 2020
In other Everton news, the club ‘could move’ for an in-demand £4.5m-rated midfielder this month.